Self-propelled high clearance sprayers have become widely adopted implements now used to apply pesticides for the production of crops in North America. When used in crops they typically employ four narrow tires (approximately 30 cm wide) to minimize the damage to crops. In wet conditions, and in pre-seeding or post-harvest, it is common to switch to wide tires (approximately 60 cm wide) which give the sprayer better floatation to reduce rutting in the fields.
Until about two years ago sprayers were only sold with narrow fenders. While these fenders were effective in reducing the amount of mud flung up from narrow tires, they were very ineffective with the wider tires. This is a very significant problem given that the wider tires tend to be used in wetter conditions. As a result, when narrow fenders are used with the wider tires, the sprayers often get covered with mud, which tends to plug and break spray nozzles, add unnecessary weight to the machine, increase the risk of transporting soil born pests between fields, and increase washing time and effort for the sprayer operation.
In the last year, the two major manufactures (Case IH and John Deere) have provided an option to purchase wide fenders. While wide fenders have addressed the mud flinging with the wide tires it has created other problems. If the wide fenders are used with narrow tires they make the sprayer wider to drive, store and transport on roads, and also create damage in tall standing crops and reduce the aesthetic appearance. While buying two sets of fenders is an option, this is very expensive and substantial time and labour is required to change the fenders as needed.